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Wells Family History

Wells Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from Wells next the Sea (Norfolk) or Wells (Somerset) both named with the plural of Old English wella ‘spring stream’ or a topographic name for someone who lived near a group of springs or streams.

Americanized form (translation into English) of French Dupuis ‘from the well’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Wells family from?

You can see how Wells families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wells family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Wells families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 731 Wells families living in New York. This was about 23% of all the recorded Wells's in USA. New York had the highest population of Wells families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wells surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Wells ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Wells. 16% of Wells men worked as a Farmer and 6% of Wells women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Wells were Truck Driver and Housekeeper.

View Census Data for Wells | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    16%
  • Laborer
    15%
  • Salesman
    5%
  • Truck Driver
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    6%
  • Teacher
    6%
  • Housewife
    6%
  • Housekeeper
    6%

What Wells family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1 million census records available for the last name Wells. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wells census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Wells

Passenger Lists

There are 95,000 immigration records available for the last name Wells. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Wells immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 205,000 military records available for the last name Wells. For the veterans among your Wells ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Wells military records

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